About Me

Lou’s Journey

Hi, I’m Lou and I’m a Trauma Transformer, Therapist and Speaker who specialises in all sorts of childhood trauma but most prominently, sexual abuse.

I have spent nearly twenty years of my life as a psychotherapist. I specialised for over a decade in addictions working on the addiction treatment programme at the Priory Hospital in London, SW15, On the addiction unit, of course I dealt with all sorts of dual diagnosis issues, PTSD, anxiety disorders, psychosis and eating disorders. Then a further five years in Harley St seeing all sorts of presenting issues but mainly with my experience in EMDR (eye movement desensitisation reprocessing) it was usually trauma.

It appeared to me however, that the main issue I always seemed to be working with and helping people through was sexual abuse or sexual trauma. So although for a while I didn’t want to go to deeply into trauma as a niche. (I did try being a sugar expert for a while!). I eventually felt guided to follow the path from sugar to sex and help those who’d been through perhaps the hardest trauma of the all. So, at some point in 2018 I will be conducting seminars, online groups and releasing lots of freebie downloads all about sexual abuse. It may be harder to do it in groups than on a 1-1 basis. But the power of healing in groups is absolutely huge.

My dream has always been to give some of the tools I’ve learnt during my two decades as a clinician and self explorer to other people to help them on their path. My own journey of recovery from mental health issues, childhood trauma, sexual abuse and addiction was interesting and insightful.

Having been there myself, my joy is in helping others to release their old stuff and the blocks that are holding them back.

More about me

At various points in our lives, I’ve learnt that most of us need help in overcoming our limitations, setbacks and challenges. I’ve been lucky to assist many people break through their own internal saboteurs and unhelpful behaviours, including myself. I know I can give you a powerful map to support you in letting go of things that are holding you back.

Whether that’s needing to increase your self belief, self worth or let go of your self-sabotaging behaviours. Becoming the person you were always destined to be, a free, authentic and real self is totally possible for us all. Trust me. I’ve done it and I’ve witnessed many others doing it too. So why not you? You just need to take one small step in the direction of fear right now!

Lou Lebentz, big hearted visionary and long-term expert in the addiction field, is a totally inspiring and thought provoking speaker. Down to earth, funny and engaging, you can hear a pin drop when she delivers what are highly entertaining speeches on subjects that none of us can afford not to pay attention to.

You have the ability to change

I am absolutely certain that you can discover a different self and your true path in life at any age –it happened to me in my forties! We often have to take a few frightening steps forwards, towards our dreams and not listen to that critical, fearful voice inside. Paradoxically, this often happens by going towards what terrifies you the most, falling head first into your fears, somehow you truly become your best self in the process.

To get my lifetime dream of doing what I’m doing on the road, I’ve had to overcome a fair few struggles along the way. I’ve had many failures on the path towards finding my real self. A couple of business ventures that didn’t work out alongside a lifelong terror of public speaking and learning how to walk my talk. I’ve had to come out from behind the therapy screen to stand shaking with fear on a stage whilst attempting to become an inspirational speaker & an online trainer in the process.

I’ve faced my demons mainly because I have a good enough reason! I want to share my own challenges with mental health, addiction, childhood trauma and my recent health challenges with you too. My motivation to share comes from a genuine desire to help you see that we can overcome anything in pursuit of our true self and dreams.

Ultimately, I want to save you a lot of time and money; it took me a long while to find the answers and much soul searching to work through my demons. I travelled from Italy to India from Spiritual Guru’s to Shamanic Healers, from Therapy to Energy Work in order to re-discover myself. However, I’d love for you to reach your potential without having to go through all that endless searching and to find it in one process and one programme. Which is why I’ve written the Voyage. I know that if you take part in this one programme, you can overcome any self-defeating habits you might have too.

My Previous Paths

Job explorations took me from the rag trade initially, to the radio industry, finally into rehab and my desire to share my learning experiences with you.

Initially, I wanted to be an actress and I attended drama school but I ended up working for Sir Phillip Green, amongst others in the rag trade because of a family situation and an urgency for me to “get out and get a real job” not mess about on the stage!

I then spent some time in the jeans’ industry, but it marked a huge turning point in my life when unbeknown to me my drink was spiked with LSD at a fashion show whilst working for a company back then called “Joe Bloggs Jeans”.

The result was a psychotic episode that culminated in an admission to a psychiatric hospital that eventually prompted a total re-evaluation of my life. During this journey of self-discovery, initially through self-help books and personal development programmes, I became fascinated by the mind and what had happened to mine whilst I was so ill, having been psychiatrically diagnosed and sectioned.

After this epiphany, I decided to change career yet again and get back into something more creative. I was propelled back into the spotlight at Capital Radio working with people like Chris Tarrant, Kenny Everett and Tony Blackburn in the Marketing and Events Dept.

Another family situation necessitated a career break and after helping launch the radio station Heart 106.2 in London, I joined my mother up a mountain in Umbria in Italy, helping nurse my alcoholic stepfather and get him back to the UK and into rehab. When I returned to the UK 3 years later, unsurprisingly, I began a new path yet again, re-training as an addictions therapist and landing a job at The Priory Hospital in London. From Rags, to Radio to eventually Rehab!!

To India and Wisdom Traditions

Over the next decade, I added to my skill set, training and receiving an Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Psychotherapy and many other qualifications that I won’t list here but you can find on the qualifications page! I attended lots of silent meditation retreats, including a 10 day Vippassana meditation retreat here in the UK. I became interested in spirituality, making a long sabbatical to India on an ayurvedic journey visiting ashrams and meeting Amma the hugging saint. I spent time with the spiritual teacher Mooji and attending his events in Portugal. Whilst training in Reiki and mindfulness as well as reading and studying many other eastern philosophies, wisdom traditions and spiritual disciplines too. I guess I became a learning junkie : ) but it served me well and some of the knowledge I’ve gained over the years is what I’m about to impart to you now in The Voyage and the trainings and teachings I undertake.

Lou Lebentz, big hearted visionary and long-term expert in the addiction field, is a totally inspiring and thought provoking speaker. Down to earth, funny and engaging, you can hear a pin drop when she delivers what are highly entertaining speeches on subjects that none of us can afford not to pay attention to.

To Health Challenges and Coming Home

As well as the trauma’s I experienced in my youth which I believe added to my psychotic episode and addiction history. I also received a Cancer diagnosis in 2017. I found out I had a 15 cm tumour on my right ovary which was in fact malignant and Stage 1 ovarian cancer.

At 49 it made me realise an important fact. That I might not have as much time on this planet as I thought. There’s nothing like a scare and a stare at our own potential death or disease to encourage you to get on with your dharma or calling and push through any last resistance that might be holding you back. For me, cancer was another wake up call and one perhaps I needed to put my ideas, experiences and learnings out into the world. For me it’s in the hope that I can make a difference; by helping others live more fully in the time I have left. Please god it’ll be another 35 years!

So, the Voyage, a programme for those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse will be coming very soon.

I do hope to meet you in the future and I really pray that you find some of my writing and teachings helpful.

Thank you for reading more about me!

Many blessings and the very best of luck

Lou x

Sign up for Updates

If you’d like to stay in touch with the latest blogs and vlogs plus get news on the Events, Workshops and Programmes coming out in 2019 alongside a load of freebies, please sign up and keep connected.